Easter Perspective: Was It Not Necessary?

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Was It Not Necessary?

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] also shared the same things in the same way.  He did this to destroy the one who holds the power over death - the devil - by dying.  He set free those who were held in slavery their entire lives by their fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (CEB)

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

From "Christ Is Risen" by Matt Maher

Toward the end of the Gospel of Luke, we read about two travelers who are heading from the city of Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus.  Until just a few of days ago, they had been disciples of a traveling teacher and miracle worker known as Jesus of Nazareth.  They once had high hopes for Jesus, but their hopes were shattered when He was arrested, put on trial, and unjustly executed by crucifixion.  That morning, a group of women visited Jesus' tomb and found that Jesus' body was missing.¹  Disappointed and confused, the two disciples walk down the road, discussing the strange events of the last few days.²

A stranger joins the two disciples on the road and asks them what they are discussing.  Wondering where this person has been hiding for the last few days, they tell him about Jesus.³  They say,
Because of his powerful deeds and words, he was recognized by God and all the people as a prophet.  But our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.  We had hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel.  All these things happened three days ago.  But there's more: Some women from our group have left us stunned.  They went to the tomb early this morning and didn't find his body.  They came to us saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who told them he is alive.  Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women said. They didn't see him.⁴

For some reason, the two disciples do not realize that they are speaking to the very person they are describing.

The Risen Jesus says to His two disciples, "You foolish people!  Your dull minds keep you from believing all that the prophets talked about.  Wasn't it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"  He then interprets the Hebrew Scriptures for them, pointing out everything that is written about the Messiah.⁵

The Risen Christ asks rhetorically whether or not it was necessary for Him to be crucified and resurrected, and He seems to be suggesting that it was indeed necessary.  After all, Jesus had warned His disciples on multiple occasions that, once He reached Jerusalem, He would be rejected by the people in charge, beaten, put to death, and then resurrected from the dead.⁶  Many people are haunted by the question of why Jesus had to die, and often the answers they receive are no less disturbing than the question itself.  For example, some suggest that Jesus had to die in order to receive the punishment the rest of humanity rightly deserves so that God can forgive us.

As for me, I have two rather obvious answers to the question of why Jesus had to die.  First, Jesus had to die because He came into a world in which innocent people like Him will be put to death for simply speaking the truth to people who do not want to hear it.  This is the kind of world that desperately needs to be saved.  If you think we have made a lot of progress in the last two thousand years, consider the assassinations and genocides that still happen.  Second, Jesus had to die so that He could be resurrected from the dead.  A person cannot rise from the dead unless that person is first dead.

If you asked me to summarize the Gospel message in just a few words, I would simply tell you, "The Risen Christ is Lord."  Jesus died and rose from the dead in order to free us from the power of sin and death.  Through His crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, He showed us that the death-dealing powers of this world - the kind that nail innocent people to crosses and hang them up to die - are not truly sovereign.  No matter how badly they wanted Jesus out of the way, they could not get rid of Him, for He is the true Lord of this world.  By rising from the dead, Jesus triumphed over death, showing us that the very worst thing that the death-dealing powers of this world can do to a person is not the end of the story.

When the travelers reach Emmaus, they two disciples invite the stranger to stay with them for the evening.  When they all sit down for dinner, the stranger takes some bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them.  Remembering that they have seen Jesus do the very same thing, they finally realize who has been walking with them in their disappointment and confusion.⁷

When Jesus asks whether or not it was necessary for Him to die and rise again, I have to agree that it was indeed necessary.  Through His crucifixion and resurrection, He showed us that we have no real reason to be afraid.  I do not know how He could accomplish what He accomplished without suffering what He suffered.  I do not know how Jesus could have defeated sin and death for us without confronting the sinful brutality of this world head-on, subjecting Himself to death, and then rising victorious over it.

During this Easter season, may you remember the Gospel story, and may it give you hope amid whatever you're facing.


Notes:

1. Luke 24:1-12
2. Luke 24:13-14
3. Luke 24:15-19
4. Luke 24:19-24 (CEB)
5. Luke 24:25-27 (CEB)
6. Luke 9:21-22; Luke 9:43b-45; Luke 18:31-34
7. Luke 24:28-31

The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road was painted by James Tissot in the late 1800s.